| Author | Message | ||
| norcal kyle (Kylexisxrad)
Registered Member Username: Kylexisxrad Post Number: 206 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 76.219.245.196 Rating: N/A |
theyve been hiring here in Sacramento for awhile now, and i filed an application back in january, but since i didnt hear anything, i figured it was a lost cause, until yesterday. i checked my email and low-and-behold, an email from the corporate driver management dept telling me how impressed they were with my application and my knowledge of buses in general, and set me up an interview for may 22nd. im currently in the process of completing part of their computer based training(some of it really is a joke, especially when they explain what the steering system does in the bus...not kidding), and from what i gather, as long as i ace the interview and complete the computer training at 80% or better(so far im at 100% on all of them) ill be pushed to phase II and go to Reno for 13 days of behind the wheel training(piece of cake, lol), and if i ace that, its back to Sac for phase III, polishing the skills and learning the routes. im just looking for advice from anyone who has first or second hand knowledge of what working for Greyhound is really like. ups? downs? i know that my first 2 or 3 years id be on call 24/7/365, which sucks, but theyre offering to pay for me get my CDL(which i cant afford myself), and more importantly, experience in the industry. im not sure if id make a career with them, but i could definetly use them as a stepping stone. BW, your advice here would be crucial.... and its about $37k/yr starting, which for a 25 year old with a 4 year old, means much needed stability. problem is, i have a KILLER summer job at a tomato cannery where i make a TON of money in a short time, and if i jump to the 'Hound, i gotta give it up. is it worth it, guys??? im torn....(i sure would look snazzy in the uniform though, lol) kyle | ||
| Jack Fids (Jack_fids)
Registered Member Username: Jack_fids Post Number: 69 Registered: 1-2009 Posted From: 69.171.160.122  Rating: N/A |
My impetuous self says....tell him to grab it and run like he stole it!! As a guy who loves to drive cross country w/o any music or conversation (not ALL the time) I'd be on that job like flies on Courtney Love. You can/will NEVER gain experiences anywhere like you can on the concrete ribbon that ties America (ok, the Western Hemisphere) together....and you already know that. The tomato factory...yesterday, this year the bugs will murder it anyway & you'll be leaving bootprints on the seat of your own pants for a LONG TIME. Does your Spirt become just as full canning tomatoes as it does when your doing "Road Work"...?.. mine neither! Besides.... why can't you pick up a little Tomato work in between calls for the Big Grey Dog...? Just remember greed & desire have negative aspects ...with interest! There, you have my HONEST answer, I have envy I'd do it it is a fair deal the experience will be unique & worth every effort the wife & kid(s) will have a reason to be proud and better educated because of your experiences AWAY from Tomatoes AND, you discover secret places on the companies dime where you and the family will have one helluva time! BUT it will be at the expense of shifting holidays, missing a few important events & some lonesome nights for you know who. SHE will either will or won't want to appreciate the lack of the most important person in her life, being confidently independent will help her deal with it. A Professional Revenue Driver, is a dying breed, a romantic position and their ain't any better reputation than the guy who drives the bus. Be torn... while you make money and love your new job! But make sure she is with you 100% | ||
| Patrick levenson (Zubzub)
Registered Member Username: Zubzub Post Number: 211 Registered: 5-2007 Posted From: 174.91.219.51  Rating: N/A |
my 2 cenys...go for it, the work experience/trainning/looks good on the resume is worth more than the $ of seasonal labour. Also see about pushing the training dates around so you can still do the tomatoes. You'ld be surprised at HR's ability to consider your needs as well....or not; depends on the company. All I know is if I was hiring a guy and one was a trained bus driver, one was a tomato picker, and one was a tomato picker/ trained bus driver I;ld choose the latter. | ||
| FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member Username: Fast_fred Post Number: 1180 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 76.248.150.30  Rating: N/A |
In the old days as air borne "bus driver" we were always on Reserve. Ones days off were sked but you had to hang by the phone the rest of the time. Their concept was you should be able to be at the airport with 4 hours notice. Today with cell phones you MIGHT be able to work at the cannery , IF there OK with your leaving at a moments notice. Biggest hassle I see with Hound job is upside , do you want to be doing that work 40 years from now for mostly the same bucks? FF | ||
| David Evans (Dmd)
Registered Member Username: Dmd Post Number: 457 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 173.77.207.138  Rating: N/A |
Twentyfive! Think of the people you will meet (!)Really i still dont know what i want to do in life, this will be an honest expierence in the foward direction. will look good in your resume down the road. You can spot buses for the rest of us, write articles for Transient's mag, help little old ladies, enjoy the general public (!) meet teen runaways etc. The CDL will be nice step. Good luck. | ||
| Buswarrior (Buswarrior)
Registered Member Username: Buswarrior Post Number: 1863 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 174.89.173.90  Rating: |
Hello Kyle. Great news! And some hard choices, just like having to choose between any two other jobs. The upper most thought in your head needs to be your family. Mothers need steady, not seasonal. They are wired differently than our thrill a minute, devil-may-care male selves, and NEED stability of resources. Like every professional driver, your life WILL be ruled by your occupation. Driving for a living is like few other jobs in this respect. Variable shift work, long hours, nights away from home, unable to plan your life into the future. As far as rest goes, if you have a 0400 report, you need to back up bedtime like a religion. Subtract travel time, shower/shave/breakfast time, and then 8 hours of uninterupted lie in bed and stare at the ceiling time. So, bedtime will be somewhere 1800/1900. And the next day, it will be upside down, you need to be at work for 1600, prepared to drive all night... Quiet and very dark. Block the windows, wear ear plugs. Try different kinds if they are uncomfortable. Make it your religion to set two alarm clocks, one of them battery powered, the other battery back-up. Test that the plugged-in back-up one does something to wake you with the power off. Tardiness is simply not tolerated in the coach industry. If your car is unreliable, get another one. Make it your habit to look out the window at your ride as soon as the alarm goes off. You may need shower time to change a flat or summon a cab. Your 4 year old needs Dad to come home in one piece, and in a good frame of mind. You do not want to be seen on the nightly news. Tired drivers have collisions. Driving tired is no fun, so going to bed beats the stupid television show you wanted to watch, hands down. Never mind the romantic rewriting of history, working to serve the public has never been easy, and if you are tired, the public will suck the soul out of you. You end up going home with a bad attitude. Bad attitude towards the public means you don't go to the kid's ball game, school concerts, because you are fed up with people at that moment. Divorce follows quickly. This clock and calendar swinging existence puts strains on relationships. You make darn sure that your spouse is happy. If you are away overnight, you call. She needs to feel secure, and that you aren't off gallivanting while she sits at home lonely. If you are on standby, you already know you aren't going to that party tonight. She needs to be good with that too. She should be going without you. YOU need to be good with her maintaining social connections in your absence. If she says anything to raise alarm that being alone at night is a concern for her, fix it. Discuss with her exterior lighting, an alarm system, a large dog, move to somewhere else, ???. She will tell you what she needs, don't make decisions for her. Alternatively, if she is ok with things as they are, leave it alone. Women run the homes of professional drivers, and the driver best not interfere for those few hours he habitates the place. I will repeat, proper rest is paramount. As for the training, best thing for a busnut to do is to shut up, listen and lay low. Let someone else in the class be the least preferred student. Precious few trainers will appreciate a trainee telling them their stuff is wrong, or who appear to know it all. You'll find lots they say somewhat off the beam. Driver trainers aren't mechanics, in fact, a lot I know don't want to drive anymore. Remember, almost none of the employees in the bus industry share our wild passion about buses. You have noticed how few bus industry types are active on the boards? Avoid swapping war stories, and don't get sucked into that wildly negative bunch who hang around the driver's room. Best to bring a book and keep out of that BS. Pay close attention to the oldest guys there. Most all of the young ones don't. Withstand their tests of your respect, and reap the rewards in the tidbits that are shared. Share the secrets of how to work the contract rules with NO ONE. Why educate the competition? You can lose a lot of money by not knowing the rules and how to wiggle them. The dispatchers will try to get you down the road without paying you properly, don't get mad, that's how it works, so get educated in a hurry. Keep your records, and check every penny on your pay. See the comment about hanging with the old men... Yes, the motoring public and some customers are WILD, but never mind. You judge no one, you just look out for their attempts to interfere with your safe passage and that's it. Professional drivers who start judging others aren't professional for long. Drive the way they want you to and regurgitate the stuff they want to hear. It's their dime, and their coach. Every time they hire another driver, every time someone senior to you leaves, your choices of work get better. All the while, you have been caring for your family, and enjoying the company of your customers. happy coaching! buswarrior | ||
| John MC9 (John_mc9)
Registered Member Username: John_mc9 Post Number: 1145 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 74.162.75.94  Rating: N/A |
To add to BW's fine dialog.... I once had a choice (back in 1970 sumptin) of starting work at a foundry, pouring molten iron into massive molds at $13 an hour to start.... Or.... starting a temporary job with Ma Bell cleaning telephone booths for minimum wage. (around $3.00 hr) My pension, life insurance, and health insurance all now come from the telephone company, and has since 1996. (It was an early retirement deal, and I retired as a telco tech) The foundry went out business sometime during the early 1980s. Don't look at today's buck regardless how big, look towards what you'd like to have years from now. That aside..... ? Bus driving as a charter driver, is fun and interesting. But it can also take you away from your family for more hours than you may desire. Driving "part time" as a charter bus driver can be addictive, fun and very enjoyable, and you can make yourself available to your schedule. Driving "line runs" can be the pits, since you're stuck doing it for as long as the company needs you on that line run; you are committed to it. It can get boring, and annoying, and it can keep you away from home for long periods of time. If you're going to be a "fill-in" line driver, you should ask the company if you're going to be travelling extensively around the country, filling in as required. From the stories long ago, the drivers would fill in for a driver in another state, and sit in that garage until another "fill-in" trip was scheduled, often taking them even further away from home. Some of the guys were living like gypsies, not seeing home for months.. So I'd ask some important questions about the type of driving and the scheduling involved. They provide health ins, and a pension, but it's not "for free". How it may impact your life should be a concern. For a temporary, part-time job? You can't beat the experience and training. Once you have it, you can go anyplace for a driving job. Weigh it out, but don't just look at the immediate high $$$. | ||
| Arthur N. Gaudet (Runcutter)
Registered Member Username: Runcutter Post Number: 32 Registered: 9-2006 Posted From: 70.122.250.111 Rating: |
As a 40+ year veteran of the industry, I'd say you're positioned just right to take advantage of the opportunity. If you're so disposed, look beyond the immediate job. My time spent cleaning/fueling buses, driving, instructing, dispatching --- were all opportunities to learn the business. That led me to now having a national transit operations/scheduling consulting practice, where I fly places to troubleshoot and teach. The best General Managers I've known learned the business through the bus windshield. Starting here could lead you to a career in the bus industry, moving up through the ranks --- or retiring as a senior driver if that's your choice. I'll echo BW's comment about attitude and perspective. Yes, some of the training may be elemental. Some transit systems hire trainers for their teaching skills, not on-street experience. One of Greyhound's sister companies is one of my clients, but I have no direct knowledge of what the Hound is doing these days. Nobody likes a know-it-all. So, don't be one. Treat the elders with respect, so you get to learn from them. In some cases, you'll learn what to do. In others, you'll learn what not to do, what not to be. Spend a lot of time on passenger skills. That can not be overstated. As mentioned, it starts with a good mental attitude, especially enough rest. I fly most everywhere today, I can tell a good gate agent by their people-handling skills. Actually, I just made a recommendation that one property stop hiring only CDL-equipped drivers, and start hiring folks with sales/people skills, and teach them how to drive. Whatever you do, make sure you're noticed for the positive, not the negative traits. Wear the uniform, correctly, with pride. Shine those shoes. Yes Sir/Ma'am all over the place. Arthur | ||
| clint hunter (Truthhunter)
Registered Member Username: Truthhunter Post Number: 620 Registered: 1-2009 Posted From: 24.129.238.13  Rating: N/A |
... a road slave by any other name ! ~still at least the drive train is in a preferred location, following the operator, rather than driver following the engine. Seems to me the only question you haven't touched on, does it pay enough to support both your wife/child & 2 divorce lawyers, you need not worry about yourself, as roads slaves live for a working & have no other need. Make certain your other half is making informed consent, not that one can cover there ass in to any mating degree. | ||
| norcal kyle (Kylexisxrad)
Registered Member Username: Kylexisxrad Post Number: 207 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 76.219.245.196 Rating: N/A |
i cant thank you guys' enough for all the opinions ive gotten so far. its nice to wake up and read all these while i drink my coffee. i wish it was possible for me to work the cannery and do the hound training, but once the tomato season hit full swing in july, and since im the senior production assistant, ill be working 6am-6pm, 7 days a week, until october, and they dont usually look too kindly on anyone taking more than a day or two off. they cant afford for production to stop for even a second, and if i cant commit to the hours, theyll just grab the next application off the top of the stack and give them a call. cant blame 'em, really. my father-in-law is the 2nd in command over there and would like to get me on in the maintenence dept, but it could be this summer, it could be 4 summers from now..... if this was three years ago, my wife would be 180 deg from where i am on this, but we've been a team since we were 18 years old, and we're stronger now than we ever have been. shes my best best best friend(along with my daughter), and understands the ups and downs of where i could be pointing our lives, and is behind me 100%, so i consider myself VERY lucky to have that key cornerstone. i re-read my post and realized i sorta sound like i was down-talking the training, which i didnt mean to. i just have such a love for these vehicles and this form of transport , that i forget that they mostly hire people who dont care so much about the bus, they care about the job, and must be trained as such. i have to remember im more of a rarity in their applicants i suppose(and probably the only one in my hiring group whose actually DRIVEN a Scenicruiser, lol). i dont want to be a know it all(and trust me i dont know it all), so ill just consider myself lucky that the first time they put us behind the wheel, not only will i be quietly comfortable, but ill be quite a few thousand miles ahead of the rest of the group, and i will inevitably learn more than i could ever have learned on my own. i have a lot retail background, and a strict mother, so politeness and courtesy are paramount in my work skills. its one of the skills thats gotten me this far in life. thanks again to all you guys. this is exactly what i was looking for. kyle | ||
| Mike Eades (Mike4905)
Registered Member Username: Mike4905 Post Number: 200 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 72.184.94.55 Rating: N/A |
Kyle I was trained by a transit co and DISNEY and a very large charter co in FL. They all work the same. Dispatch works like you are a machine and do not need sleep. You will learn the word no. You will also learn the dot regs in a hurry. I have just gone part-time with my co. When I got this last job I had my 4905 and was traveling a lot. I was also training drivers both up north and a disney. I ended up working charters and I found the best part was the people. I would drive and they would talk and I met some many different people. It was great. Enjoy and think what is best for you and your family. Mike4905 | ||
| George M. Todd (George_todd)
Registered Member Username: George_todd Post Number: 1016 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 99.29.76.171 Rating: |
Kyle, We need to face reality here, and a little Greyhound and labor history. I just retired from 43 years with the operating department of the Southern Pacific RR, and then the Union Pacific, after they bought us. Until 1988, we provided the operating crews for Amtrak. For over 3 years, I was a traveling electrician/supervisor on Amtrak, traveling 2200 miles a week on a passenger train. Since 1988, I have worked nothing but "Pool Freight," which is just riding a freight train instead of a bus. Until the early nineties, all of our deadheading, (balancing crews when there aren't enough, or too may crews in a terminal) was done on Greyhound. Now we have a van service, where the drivers are paid $0.17 a mile to drive us, because of the problems with the passengers on Greyhound. The present operator of the van service is Coach America, who is also a bus company. Now we have problems with non-rested drivers. Charter driving is one thing, line driving between major cities is something else. Why did the major railroads leave commercial bus transportation, and pay higher rates? Class of passengers, as in marijuana smoking in the seats, as well as the restroom, passengers under the influence of alcohol and other things. Anyone who can afford to, will fly. Wait 'til someone gets sick in your coach. What are you going to do when a fight starts? The plastic shield around the driver is there for a reason. What happens when a psgr becomes irate over a lost bag? (You are the Company rep!) Greyhound has had TWO strikes, the older drivers there now scabbed on the striking drivers who had scabbed on the first striking drivers. I know, Laidlaw owns the Dog now, which is neither here nor there. What BW says is right, a crew dispatcher runs your life. You will also get called when you don't expect it, you are three times out, and there are no vacancies showing. A regular driver suddenly calls in sick, 10 minutes before call time, and the first out extra man just went to the store, so he misses a call. The second out person isn't home, because he is second out for nothing showing, so you get called at 6pm for 730pm on duty, after being up all day, and just about to go to bed. You THOUGHT the third vacancy wasn't until 9am tomorrow morning. This is reality. How much time have you spent in and around the station in Sacramento lately? As a newbie, you will end up in LA, and once you see that depot, you won't want to get out of your bus. You haven't mentioned pay per mile, OR the average number of miles per hour traveled...Sure, there is standby pay when you are waiting to see if there are enough passengers to require a second bus on a route, minimum wage. You will be away from home more than you are home, and when you are home, you will be asleep, either because you are going to be up all night, or you just got in from being up all night, and maybe are going to be up all night again tonite. You will need an unlisted phone number that only the crew dispatcher has, so you can sleep without interruptions from sales calls. Your daughter can't play with her friends when Daddys sleeping. You can't make plans to go out "a week from Thursday," because you don't know where you will be. You will work weekends for several years, because the senior drivers don't want to. Greyhound runs on Christmas, New Years, Thanksgiving, Easter, Labor Day, Memorial Day, Washington's birthday, (Railroads do too, that's how I know.) There is a real simple way to find out if you think you are going to like it: Buy a ticket from Sacto to LA tonite, its Saturday night. Drive to Sac, and park your car. Then get on a bus about 9 or 10 pm, AND STAY AWAKE ALL THE WAY TO LA. Walk to a motel, get a room, and try to sleep in the daylight for eight hours. Then get up, get cleaned up, get dinner, and walk back to the depot for your 8pm departure. You must stay awake all the way back! When you get to Sac, its 4am and still dark, you have been up all night, and NOW you have to drive to Davis tired in the dark. When you get home, really ready for bed, your wife and daughter will be ready to get up and play, and its going to be a hot day. BTDT, George | ||
| norcal kyle (Kylexisxrad)
Registered Member Username: Kylexisxrad Post Number: 208 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 76.219.245.196 Rating: N/A |
george: you make a bunch of good points, but the hound is actually owned by UK-based FirstGroup, plc. they bought it after Laidlaw's chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2007. i actually have ridden the overnight express to LA as a passenger 4 times in the last 3 years, so i know what the passenger quality is like, and i tend to haunt the greyhound station here in sacramento quite often, as i like to watch the buses come and go(have you ever seen them make the left turn off of 8th st into the alley behind the terminal with a 45 footer? its a maneuver unto itself). i do agree that the LA station is an adventure. even the short walk to the mcdonalds down the street is almost unbearable. from what ive gathered in the conversations ive had so far with a few insiders(including hound drivers), trips to LA originate in LA. meaning that its LA based drivers making those runs to norcal and back. sacramento based drivers generally do the redding-fresno-reno area, with occasional trips to the bay area as needed. of course, if youre on the extra board(which is unavoidable at first), you can very well get called to make a socal run. the hours would be difficult to adjust to at first, but cannery hours during tomato season for me fluctuate almost as much. ive worked 19 hour days and just slept in my car because it wasnt worth driving the 30min home. id rather just sleep, and my "normal" schedule is 6am to 6pm, 7 days a week, from July to October, and thats just the base. if i need to stay longer, then i do. its sorta like comparing apples and oranges, but the toll on your body and mind and family can compare. again i really appreciate every single comment and phone conversation ive had so far. you guys are great. | ||
| Arthur N. Gaudet (Runcutter)
Registered Member Username: Runcutter Post Number: 33 Registered: 9-2006 Posted From: 70.122.250.111 Rating: N/A |
Kyle, any job will have its ups and downs (or lefts and rights). Even gardens have manure, roses have thorns. George is right, and its a very good point. You won't always be carrying sweet old ladies and college cheerleaders. One of the comedians on Blue Collar satellite radio tells it right - Greyhound is the provider of last resort. Even what I see on airplanes now are folks dressed like they're about to report to work at Jiffy Lube. Ever wonder what happens to folks on the no-fly list? Go Greyhound. But, and here's the big but. The job is what you make it. If nothing else, you'll get good experience. If you want to continue driving, you'll be positioned stay with the Hound, or to go to a charter company, or city transit. You might even end up with Yolobus - there's a tomato cannery in the next lot if you miss the smell. If you stay at the Hound, you might move up the seniority list faster than in the old days. Although the financial crisis has local transit reducing service, at some point transit will come back, and drivers will be needed again. My mind takes the direction of moving up and into management -- you may or may not be so inclined. While I certainly don't feel that folks who get CDL training should leave before the employer recovers the training cost, I also don't think there's a 30-year obligation. Even if you stay 2-3 years, I think you'd have fulfilled your moral obligation. First Group bought Laidlaw, got the school work (now under First Student), and Greyhound was the 13th doughnut in the baker's dozen. It may depend on the division, whether they're squeezing the ha'penny until it screams, but you should be aware that a lot of companies these days are looking at the near-term financials, not necessarily investing in the future. What does that mean for getting enough work -- who knows? Some folks think they'll run you ragged. Maybe they have more information than I do, but I'd also be sure that there's enough work for the forseeable future. If you can, check into some current driver schedules -- find out what's really going on - and what you might expect. They're buying new coaches, both MCI's and Prevosts, but they've also closed the agency in Springfield, IL (where I was working with a client recently). I'm not impressed with their website -- you can't find bus schedules -- you have to plan a trip. You can't find fares, you have to click on "discounts" after you've planned the trip. On the flip side, that may be good - you have to have a few brain cells left to navigate. I do some fatigue work, and spend a lot of time teaching schedulers about fatigue, sleep disorders, etc. I suggest to the (actually I tell them flat out), that if they want to increase ridership, they should avoid killing off the ones they have now. I can't overemphasize this. You'll have to do whatever it takes to be fit for duty. When I was driving (a few decades ago), I always said that if I was involved in a fatal, and it was my fault, I sure hoped I'd be one of the fatalities. That kept my mind where it belonged - I'm the driver, not the host/entertainer. I'd also encourage you to go to the National Transportation Safety Board website, and read a bunch of the highway accident reports. A large number of them were lack of alertness due to fatigue. Bottom line -- one day at a time. Don't ask about how you submit your pension papers right away. Plan on 2-3 years at least, to repay the training investment. Enjoy it if possible, tough it out if you have to. Look for the good parts, which'll be the offset of putting tire chains on to climb Donner Pass, praying you get through the tule fog on 99, calling the cops for the drunks. However, don't burn any bridges - there'll be times that tomatos look awfully good. Arthur (Message edited by runcutter on May 16, 2010) | ||
| norcal kyle (Kylexisxrad)
Registered Member Username: Kylexisxrad Post Number: 209 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 76.219.245.196 Rating: N/A |
Arthur: that the very cannery where i work! Pacific Coast Producers. "the name behind the brands you trust." haha kyle | ||
| George M. Todd (George_todd)
Registered Member Username: George_todd Post Number: 1017 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 99.29.76.171 Rating: N/A |
Kyle, The point of what I said is that you are 30 min from your house when you are working. After 12 hours, if you want to stop and rub your eyes, you can. When you get off, you know when you are going back. You can go back needing a shave and a shower. You won't be off all day, and go to work at 11pm, on a foggy 10 hour trip. You still didn't mention cents/mile. Look at the NTSB website for the railroad accident analysis also, a high number of the railroad collisions are fatigue related. They go to your family and look at your life for the last week or so. Usually what they find is that both the engineer and conductor worked the day before, and got off in the evening of the day or two before. What they didn't do was sleep in the afternoon of the accident, went to work about 9pm, and usually crashed about 4am, which is the hardest time to stay awake. Working extra means you don't know when or where. You are at the mercy of passenger load variations, and whether it is a 40 or 45 foot bus coming from Salt Lake or SFO. As you say, LA-SAC runs are crewed out of LA, so you probably won't end up working out of another terminal. I don't know how they get an away from home driver back to his home terminal around other home drivers? G | ||
| marvin pack (Gomer)
Registered Member Username: Gomer Post Number: 910 Registered: 3-2007 Posted From: 71.53.153.91  Rating: N/A |
Do I detect a little moonlighting? Humm Gomer | ||
| John MC9 (John_mc9)
Registered Member Username: John_mc9 Post Number: 1146 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 74.162.75.94 Rating: N/A |
Re: "the hours would be difficult to adjust to at first, but cannery hours during tomato season for me fluctuate almost as much. " The big difference is that you'll be moving human beings instead of tomatoes, and most passengers hate looking like a crushed tomato. I drove a bus for a company under contract to the Long Island RR. My run was from Babylon, LI to Montauk Point, LI. I made three trips a day, every day, 7 days a week, except for Fridays, weekends and holidays. On those days I also had to backup other runs after completing my day's run. I did that job 7 days a week, 365 a year, for a bit over one year, without a single day off.... and then I quit. Intrastate drivers didn't need a log book, only interstate drivers did, so intrastate drivers could be forced to work as many hours as the company dictated. I went to work for a charter bus company with local line runs. Intercounty Motor Coach located in Babylon, LI. took great care of their employees, and rotated drivers from charter or line work when their mileage reached a certain amount. ICMC boasted the lowest accident rate of all companies on the East Coast thanks to the effort of the late owner Irving Smith. Markel Insurance was the industry's favorite at the time, and had spotters make reports of driver's activity and habits on various highways and roadways. If you drove not using signals, or changed lanes too fast, you were reported and disciplined. Times have changed dramatically, and even the "hound" is using green drivers and working them until their eyes bleed whenever they can. I can remember how it felt to drive so tired on the RR run, that I could have just as well been drunk. Reaction time so slow, that there were times I had to look at signs to know where the hell I was on the route. I remember stopping in the middle of the highway, because I thought I saw a red traffic signal..... That's the way it is on a line run when you're overworked. You can become a zombie driver within a short time, unless the company makes an effort to prevent that from happening. Listen Kyle, get the training and the CDL and anything else you can get. There was once a time that I felt we had an obligation to repay for "free training", but not anymore. The "Hound" would drop you like a rotten tomato after spending all the time for training, if you refused to accept a Christmas run after they didn't give you work for 3 months prior to the holiday. They'll want you to work when they want you to work, not when you tell them you can't survive without working. The expense of training is absorbed in their operating expenses, and every deduction helps. Their subsidies do well for them also. It's an opportunity that might suit you well, but only as a stepping stone to a driving career, if that's really what you want. Personally, as much as I loved the freedom of charter work, and driving a bus in general, my job and eventual retirement from the Phone Co. was the best thing that's ever happened. Driving's fun, but you'll be a work cow that'll be milked for every last drop, then dumped by the wayside. There just aren't all that many drivers of any company, that have received a great pension and retirement benefits that a "normal" job usually provides. Take life as it comes, it's short, believe me. You're young and can be adventurous, so get the license and experience if it's burning a hole in your soul..... But a management job in a major company can provide you with skills you can take anywhere, including to a bus company. You can go back to driving when you're retired as the Tomato Mogul of all time, collecting a pension, and doing what you always wanted to do... driving old farts to dinner-theaters and drunk SOBs to Greyhound tracks. Yeah. fun. For youse old drivers: --- A driver friend tells the story of when he was driving a bus load pensioners to Brighton, on a day trip, when he was tapped on his shoulder by a little old lady. She offered him a handful of peanuts, which he happily took and ate. After about 20 minutes, she tapped him on his shoulder again and she handed him another handful of peanuts. The old dear repeated this generous gesture several more times. When she is about to hand him another batch again he decided to ask the little old lady: "Why don't you and your friends eat the peanuts yourself?" "We can't chew them because We've no teeth" He was puzzled and inquired: "Why on earth do you buy them?" "Oh, we just love to lick the chocolate off them". --- Yup. It's exactly like that. | ||
| Patrick levenson (Zubzub)
Registered Member Username: Zubzub Post Number: 213 Registered: 5-2007 Posted From: 174.91.219.51 Rating: N/A |
 Also to add to John MC9's words, unfortunately management will usually push you as hard as they can, someone above mentioned learning how to say no. I've got to say the best guys who have ever worked for me were the ones who knew when to say no to extra hours/days....these are guys who are there for the long haul, they may say no once in awhile but they don't hate your guts for working them 16 hrs a day for 10 days straight to meet a deadline (plus they don't f everything up from exhaustion). Greyhound has a less than stellar record in labour relations..... But the training and future work possibilities could be helpful. You've gotten lots of info from some old salts here, should be helpful. | ||
| Arthur N. Gaudet (Runcutter)
Registered Member Username: Runcutter Post Number: 34 Registered: 9-2006 Posted From: 70.122.250.111 Rating: N/A |
The other big question is whether there will be enough work. I honestly don't know, maybe some of the other posters have more information than I do. But, I wouldn't bet the farm on always having a full paycheck, especially on the extra board. If, indeed, there is enough work - then federal Hours of Service (HOS) Regulations (Title 49 CFR part 395) will come into play. First Group is very, very, very, sensitive to safety issues - including HOS. You won't be allowed to work illegally. Probably your best bet is to try to learn more about how the extra board is marked up, what the progression looks like to bid runs, etc. Sounds like you may know folks at the local terminal. Bring them some coffee and doughnuts, see what you can learn. You have a family to support. You want to be sure you know what you're getting into. Lest this sound negative, it is not. Personally, I think you have a great opportunity. With your interest, I think you'd be an asset to the company, perhaps moving into operations management, training, or who knows? -- if that is your desire. I do think that you should be making a 2-3 year commitment, to pay them back for the training expense. That, though, is my moral compass - tempered by my previous experience at transit systems that would invest a lot of money in training, only to have drivers leave right after they got their CDL. Arthur | ||
| George M. Todd (George_todd)
Registered Member Username: George_todd Post Number: 1018 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 99.29.76.171 Rating: N/A |
What we told the new hires: "Don't buy a new truck." John is exactly right about being called to work on Christmas after not working since Thanksgiving, and then getting in trouble for telling the crew dispr "I have a family." (You won't work again until New Years.) Does this sound negative? Yep. The SP was pretty decent. The UP wasn't. Wait until a crew disp calls you on Christmes Eve, and begs you to take a hot run somewhere, "and they will deadhead you right home." When you get there and ask for your deadhead, the manager will tell you "I don't know anything about it, and you can't run around everybody already here. Besides, theres nobody here to take your turn back tonite." G | ||
| Patrick levenson (Zubzub)
Registered Member Username: Zubzub Post Number: 214 Registered: 5-2007 Posted From: 174.91.225.146 Rating: N/A |
Boy the guys are making it sound Goooooood! FWIW I was thinking of picking up my CDL and running the occasional weekend charters to NY NY when I had free time. Apparently the local charter companies like having a stable of part time guys, I have work slumps so taht works for me....would never start full time at the bottom of a big transport co, though....unless I had no other options, but then I'm not 24 anymore. Haven't gone on a 3 month club tour as a musician since my twenties either....that gets tired as well | ||
| steve wardwell (Steve_wardwell)
Registered Member Username: Steve_wardwell Post Number: 17 Registered: 2-2010 Posted From: 75.250.82.39  Rating: N/A |
doesn't sound fun to me | ||
| Buswarrior (Buswarrior)
Registered Member Username: Buswarrior Post Number: 1864 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 174.91.144.170 Rating: N/A |
Take it all with a grain of salt. Some continue to work in the industry, some don't anymore, some didn't. Every employer's purpose is to profit off the backs of the employees. That's capitalism. With relations back at the cannery, you appear to have a safety net of sorts, so what are you waiting for? Lying on one's deathbed, regret will be for the things not done, not the things done. happy coaching! buswarrior | ||
| FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member Username: Fast_fred Post Number: 1185 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 76.248.150.30 Rating: N/A |
"Every employer's purpose is to profit off the backs of the employees. That's capitalism. " NOT in my book ,Thats the Marxist view , Most free market folks (not in USA since 1850's)believe capital increases the productivity and take home wages for workers. 300 guys with picks and shovels or 2 bulldozers, 2 backhoes, and some C4 , on which team would you prefer to spend your working life? FF | ||
| norcal kyle (Kylexisxrad)
Registered Member Username: Kylexisxrad Post Number: 210 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 76.219.245.196 Rating: N/A |
to everyone: after a few days of long talks with the better half and a few of you guys, ive decided that if my interview goes well and im offered the job, ill take it. my ol' lady is behind me 100%(for now, lol) and made a good point that its not everyday you get offered the opportunity to do something you love, and are pretty good at(for an amateur, at least). i have to thank every one of you guys for taking the time to post, call or email me about this unexpected crossroads, and i have to thank the local Greyhound drivers who have so patiently talked with me on their smoke breaks down at the terminal the last couple of days. ill keep you guys' posted on how it goes. my interview is saturday @ 10am..... kyle | ||
| joe padberg (Joemc7ab)
Registered Member Username: Joemc7ab Post Number: 423 Registered: 6-2004 Posted From: 66.38.159.33 Rating: N/A |
Best to you Kyle. | ||
| Jim Wilke (Jim Bob) (Pd41044039)
Registered Member Username: Pd41044039 Post Number: 482 Registered: 2-2001 Posted From: 184.0.3.170 Rating: |
Dang Kyle, no matter which way you go, you hang onto that woman! She posesses true wisdom way beyond her years. If she really believes what she is telling you she is the diamond in your life! Too many women of her age or any age just want you to make more money so they can get a home/car/jewelry/more kids/whatever. Ladies like that are more rare than Scenicruisers! | ||
| Arthur N. Gaudet (Runcutter)
Registered Member Username: Runcutter Post Number: 35 Registered: 9-2006 Posted From: 70.122.250.111 Rating: N/A |
Kyle, good luck with the interview. I'd suggest you give a lot of thought to your approach. Go in with your knowledge and interest, don't wear your 1920's Greyhound uniform. When I was managing transit systems, I'd always cringe when a highly enthusiastic railfan/busfan (called a "foamer") showed up, although I got into the business from being a railfan. My office is now in the house, and I don't have clients in - so it's covered in railfan books, bus, rail, and commercial airline models. If I had clients around, they'd be somewhere else, lest I be accused of being a foamer. My industry credentials notwithstanding, that's a hint of perception I wouldn't want. So, bring enthusiasm, not excitement. Showcase what your knowledge and experience can do for the prospective employer, that you're willing to learn (be taught) --- not that you're already aiming for senior management. It's good that you've spent time with drivers -- getting the real scoop on what's going on there - the specifics. I don't know the setup, but if it were me, I'd get a bunch of coffee gift certificates, bring baked goods into the drivers' lounge, or whatever -- some kind of thank you for the drivers that did take their time with you. Always, signs of thanks and respect are good ideas. Good luck, and let us know how it pans out. Arthur | ||
| John MC9 (John_mc9)
Registered Member Username: John_mc9 Post Number: 1148 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 74.162.75.94 Rating: N/A |
Hey Kyle.... It's a good thing the wife didn't hear the driver's stories about all the good lookin' women that ride the buses, and their drivers..... Uhhh.... not that it's unheard of to have a wife encourage her old man to take an out of area job..... to give her.... some..... time... Gooses and Ganders.... They said that once you drive a bus, you'll always want to drive a bus. For the most part, they were right. It's a great job for a single guy, but finding a wife that doesn't mind her OM not being around on all the days that she really wishes he was around...? Not too easy. Charter work is the best, if you're a part-timer and can offer your services when you want to offer your services. Line runs are something you are committed to - sickness, home problems, births, deaths, graduations, or holidays. They don't have drivers to call in at the last minute, or at least not too often. You'll see the ups and downs within a few months on the roster. Wait'll you hear about the broad riding the 9:43 out of Sac.. Good luck! | ||
| Kyle Brandt (Kyle4501)
Registered Member Username: Kyle4501 Post Number: 574 Registered: 9-2004 Posted From: 65.23.106.193  Rating: N/A |
Nothing like returning home after 2 weeks away. . . Sure is nice to be missed - short term. Helps strengthen the relationship. Can add some freshness too ;) You will usually find that which you seek - Sounds like you seek adventure & fulfillment, so you will have more good days than bad. Some look for problems & then wonder why that is all they find . . . Don't fall into that groop. Enjoy the ride & learn when to step off. (Message edited by kyle4501 on May 19, 2010) | ||
| John MC9 (John_mc9)
Registered Member Username: John_mc9 Post Number: 1149 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 74.162.75.94 Rating: N/A |
Re: "Enjoy the ride & learn when to step off. " Amen, bro! That's the way to decent mental health. You'll do fine no matter what choice you make! I do miss the charter work.... it's a fun way to make a buck. | ||
| Mark R. Obtinario (Cowlitzcoach)
Registered Member Username: Cowlitzcoach Post Number: 214 Registered: 4-2001 Posted From: 68.27.218.231 Rating: N/A |
We operated a connection to Greyhound for three years as a part of our charter bus operation. Daily route service is not easy, especially since you have to go every day. The best part of the work was the people who rode the bus. In particular were the regulars that would ride back and forth on a regular basis between two towns. They almost became a part of the family. The worst part of the work was dealing with the people who had luggage made by Glad and Hefty. All in all it was a great experience. I think your time with the grey puppy will be as good or bad as you make it. The company is in the business to make $$$. Part of your job will be to make your route as profitable as possible. That means staying on route and on time. That means saying "yes ma'am you are correct" when you really want to say "take a hike you old b****". That means being kind to the equipment even if what they assigned you to drive should have been sent to the boneyard ten years ago. That means that when they preach fuel conservation what they are really saying is don't waste fuel unnecessarily--keep the speed down and don't idle unless you have to. Good luck and remember to have fun. | ||
| steve wardwell (Steve_wardwell)
Registered Member Username: Steve_wardwell Post Number: 19 Registered: 2-2010 Posted From: 75.202.246.244 Rating: N/A |
Best of luck to you Kyle You'll know if its a good fit for you and your peeps... | ||
| David Hancock (Daveh)
Registered Member Username: Daveh Post Number: 21 Registered: 1-2005 Posted From: 67.142.130.33 Rating: N/A |
Hi Kyle, I wish you luck with your interveiw tommorrow, we will be thinking positive thoughts for you all day! Great days ahead for you and yours! Thanks Dave H |
